Deep Flame
by Cendre Noir
Summary: Zophe has to make choices between honoring her family or giving them the worst heartache, which will she choose? Adrian has been suffering with spirit. Will he ever get it under control? Find Out, In Reading Deep Flame.
1. Chapter One

Being a royal socialite to the Zeklos family was important, but being a Straight A student was number one. The family rules were no different for the newest generation to come to the world. The newest child in the family was a little girl named Zophe. Zophe was the first of three siblings, and first of eight cousins to come. She was spoiled none the less.

The Prince at the time realized the difference in the little girl. She was going to bring them honor but she would also bring them trouble. The prince named her the newest generation's Princess. The prince told the girl's parents to keep on eye on her when she specialized. Her parents weren't so sure on what he meant, but they respected his words.

They were excited to have their first child together, let alone the first in the royal Zeklos' line. Their little one would be treasured and adored. When she graduated she would also have a guardian to protect her from Strigoi, the nocturnal, evil undead beings. They were moroi, mortal magic bound vampire. They fed off of blood, but not enough to take a life or turn immortal strigoi. When Zophe was just the right age to go to Saint Vladimir's Academy she was sent on her way. Like other parents, Zophe's believed in the school and believed in the safety it held for the children that were sent there. Not only were they being protected from the evils of strigoi, but being taught the way of their secret life away from humans. Zophe was able to socialize, learn the ways of moroi, and seek out ideal future guardians.

Guardians were dhampirs. The product of a moroi vampire and a human, or a moroi and another dhampir. The dhampir race had the strength of the moroi to fight the undead evil, yet had the life of a human. There was a major shortage of dhampir guardians, because of this there were tight regulations. Which made it hard for anyone who was outside of Moroi Vampire cities and schools to get the protection they needed.

Since the Zeklos family lived in the moroi city that held the queen, Zophe met many people and made many friends of her age. So, moving to the Academy was no issue. She made very close friends with Adrian Ivashkov. He was the queen's nephew and her parents thought it was very good to be on the queen of all the Moroi And dhampir side. Little did they know Adrian and their daughter would socialize themselves apart from one another.

It was junior year at the boarding school of Saint Vladimir's Academy. The eldest Zeklos at the school sat int the middle of the garden on her yoga mat. She believed yoga helped her excel in her specialization.. Specialization is what young adult Moroi went through. They specialized in an elemental magic all their own.. The elements of the known world, Earth, Air, Fire and Water (and the rare element of spirit). Zophe sat in a meditation pose taking in the elements around her. Her hands fell into her lap cupped together. A small ball of her element sat above her hands.

The Zeklos family believed in their newest generation's princess was the element of fire in its human state. Of course, there was no such real thing, but she mastered her element very quickly. The small ball of flames in her hands flickered to life and they danced to her every will. Zophe had her eyes closed as she began to move the ball in different shapes and forms. She did this routine almost daily. Keeping her mind open to everything made life just easier for her.

Zophe was so far into her meditation that she didn't realize a horrible thunderstorm that was in the horizon. She didn't notice much going on, but at five in the morning the only bodies awake on campus were the guardians-to-be dhampirs going to the gym, and the guardians that protected the School. There was another presence, Zophe didn't feel until he came close enough to shatter her peace.

"Don't tell me, my flaming light, you're meditating again?" It was Adrian. They haven't spoken to each other since they enrolled at Saint Vladimir's Academy. She noticed he was turning on his playboy charm. The ball of fire in her hands disappeared in a ball of smoke.. She heard Adrian never specialized. It may have been a rumor, but she had more of an idea about it. He specialized in spirit. He liked to visit her. Walking in dreams was his specialty. , He missed her- their friendship they once had was lived in their own dream world.

"What's it to you, ghost boy?" she kept her eyes closed, slowly coming from her peaceful world of meditation.

"I miss you, Zoe- we were inseparable! You always kept me in line- kept me sane." he almost sounded like he was pleading for her friendship. "this storm is insanity speaking out to you-"

Zophe slowly opened her blue-gray eyes and blinked a moment. Her gaze climbed his body to meet his face. He as very handsome, like most moroi. His body fit and looking at it as she did made her core heat up for him. She swallowed, pushing any type of feelings for the boy down. She smirked slightly, standing up from her position and faced him.

"Adrian, please. there are many other girls around here. that will fall on their backs begging for your dick." she spat. Zoe wasn't the jealous type but when you have the guy in your dreams many nights for years- it gets hard not to be. "You think this storm is here to call you to me, but you must say that to all the girls. Every thunderstorm that comes to Vlad's. I'm not stupid."

"I don't want them. I want you-" Adrian swallowed the saliva from his mouth. He was about to do the boldest thing in their almost non-existent friendship. She was his life the only one who let him dream walk into her dream. He wrapped his arms around his waist pulled her up against his body. He took a deep breath smelling her woodsy perfume.

"Adrian, Wha-" She didn't even get to finish her sentence before he leaned down his eyes level with hers,

"Shh, my life-" He whispered and placed his lips on hers. She collapsed into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck, and pulling his face closer to her. Their heated kiss was ruined by the beginning droplets of the storm. She pushed him away in shock, turned rolled up her yoga mat and stuck it under her arm.

"Speak of this to anyone Adrian, I'll leave you in a burning mess."

Zophe ran to her dorm. Trying not to think of anything or anyone. She took out her towel and dried off her yoga mat. She put it away in her closet and looked for an outfit to wear for the day. It wasn't long after she showered, dressed, and began to brush her long light-brown hair a knock was at the door.

'Please don't be Adrian,' She thought to herself. Zoe new better to think of him. It was Janika, her love interest of the year. Janika liked to use the word girlfriend. She was a moroi. She didn't come from a royal family, but none the less it didn't bother Zophe. Janika was very good friends with Zoe since they started at Saint Vladimir's Academy. As flirty as Zophe was she flirted her eyes towards the males and the females of the academy. Surprisingly, Janika and Zophe were very close and a love connection burned between them.

"Zo, Baby, You're looking sexier then ever. I'm surprised you didn't want to shower with me." Janika grabbed Zophes face and pulled it to her own laying the most passionate kiss she ever could. "God I've missed you, Zo. I want you before school-"

Zophe's body burned to the core form the kiss. She enjoyed Janika's passion for the flame that Zophe controls. "I'm here for the taking, Jani"

Adrian went to the church. He wasn't really all into church, but the only other spirit user he knew was there. Not in person, but in statue. Vladimir, the man who the academy was named after was a spirit user. Adrian walked up to the files upon files in the attic of the church.

He sat down in the chair that was placed in front of the bookshelf filled with old bibles, and journals. He didn't know what to do with himself. He needed to find a way to get to Zophe's head again. It wouldn't be for at least twelve hours until he could walk in her dreams. He was more depressed than ever before.

Adrian felt like his insides were turning black and leaking out of him as if he were dead. He stood up from the chair and rummaged through the journals. He noticed a whole collection of fine wine. He gave a emotionless smile and took one out.

Somehow, he found a way to pop the cork from the bottle. With the open bottle he began his first drink of a lifetime of drinks. He looked at the bottle only feeling somewhat of a horrible person. The wine had dates on them of when they were to be blessed for the holiday ceremonies. He shrugged and continued to drink the rest of the bottle.

Adrian realized the insanity of spirit was a lot less then when he wasn't sober. He enjoyed that. He took the box of wine, (the school's rich anyway- they could get more) and walked to his dorm. He hid the box in the back of his closet. The wine in his belly began to make him ill-tired. Drifting of to a hazy slumber, Adrian thought once again of Zophe.

"I knew you'd walk to me, Adrian." There was a soft voice in his dream. He didn't believe he was dream walking-but then again he was pirate-drunk. He stood in his normal outfit of jeans and a polo. Looking around himself he couldn't see where the voice came from.

"Adrian?" the female voice said softly again. "Adrian..."

Then it became clear to him, Zophe was walking to him in a strapless a-line blue dress. The tress stopped a little above her knee, but it was the dress she wore at the last spring dance. It hugged her body in ways he wish he could. He looked surprised to see her. She never went to sleep at this time.

"Zoe? Where are we?" he asked.

"Don't you know? You're the one doing all this."

"No, I don't actually..." He licked his lips as she walked closer to him.

"Adrian, have you been drinking?" he shrugged as a return answer. She sighed. "I thought about what you said..."

He perked up, "yeah?"

"Jani doesn't like the idea of us being friends at all."

"So? We've been friends for years... longer then she's ever been. She's using you, little flame..." he whispers the last sentence.

"Using me? What do you mean?"

"She only wants you for the title she'd get in loving you" he looked into her eyes. "Didn't you know that?"

Zophe shook her head in denial. "You're wrong, Adrian."

"Zoe, ask her about the sex pact. She needs to bed you three more times before she'll move on."

"Sex pact?" She asked crossing her arms trying to hold herself together.

"Yeah, its like four moroi trying to get with the A-Lister's of the royal blood. You got one more to date and well you don't want to know the rest."

"You're lying to me Adrian. You want me to yourself. How do I know you're not in it?"

"Remember the girl I was seeing? she broke down our second date and told me everything."

"You lie!" He shook his head at her yelling.

"I don't, why do you think I'm drunk as a sea dog?" he grumbled. "I'm passed denial and on toward drinking my sorrows. And apparently it works on healing my spirit."

She looked at him and walked closer to him. She rubbed her hands on his arms. No matter what, she still wished she kept her friendship with Adrian. He wasn't so bad, he was just lost in the world.

"Adrian, don't go into drinking yourself into a hell you never want to be in." Zophe smiled softly. "You mean a lot to me Adrian. Even if you left my side since coming to the academy."

"I didn't mean to Zoe. We just, I don't know, separated and I really regret that" He sighs trying not to look into her eyes.

"Adrian, please no pouting, no feeling sorry for yourself. Just know in our little dream world I love you." She leaned in and kissed him on the lips. He tried to say something but she put her finger over his lips. "In our dream world."

Adrian watched Zophe turn on her heel and walked out to the point she disappeared. He was forced back into his room. She pushed him out of her dream by waking up. He sighed and looked over at a photograph from their childhood. He got up and walked to his desk where the frame sat. Picking up the frame, Adrian sighed. "Zophe, I want you, I need you in the here and now. Not there in dream. I need you!"

He closed his eyes slammed the frame on the desk and began to cry. No female in his life wanted him for him. Just his title and access to the queen. He threw the frame of him and Zophe into the wall.

"FUCK YOU ALL!" He screamed.


	2. Chapter Two

Zoe woke up wrapped in Janika's arms. She feel asleep after their ordeal. She looked around her room and thought about her dream visitor.

"Jani," She asked as Janika slowly woke up. "Jani we need to talk."

Jani looked up and blinked at her lover. "Anything for you, babe."

"Whats this sex pact I've been hearing about?"

Janika's eyes shifted uneasily. "Where did you hear about that?"

"Me to know, and you to find out, Jani." Zoe sat up at this point watching Jani's every move. "I know more then you think I do, Jani. Don't lie to me. Are you apart of it?"

Janika shook her head no. She closed her eyes tightly "I have no idea what y-you're talking about."

"Look into my eyes and say you're not apart of the group that's using me. The group that's turning me inside out." Zoe stood up and kept a watchful eye on her. "Tell me you're not apart of my hell."

"Z-Zophe, I-I am" Janika started, "not apart of it"

Zoe narrowed her eyes. Janika was acting like a caught animal. Zophe put on her clothes. "Jani, Do not lie to me. Janika, you're apart of it. You're afraid of telling about the pact cause you know why. Don't lie to me. The other three won't do anything worse then what I'll do to you."

"No, please Zoe" she paused. Zophe's face got red with anger. She held out her hand and a burst of flame appeared from the candle near by to her hand.

"I better not see you when I come back. You better steer clear from me... I thought you were my friend, my lover Janika. But this- this is unforgivable. You are the ashes of my life. I have no more need for you, Cross me in the future, you may not end up pretty... Got that?"

"But I love you!"

"Shut up- You are ASHES, Janika! Ashes!" She yelled. "But no worries, Miss Kimball, You'll find someone who truly loves you. Just always remember the fun we've had."

With that, Zophe turned from Janika's gaze. She picked up her belongings for the beginning of her school day. She opened the door, walked through, and closed the door behind her. Zo stopped to hear Janika frantically getting her things on between her sobs.

Her first class she shared with Adrian. Of course she always knew of it but she never really cared until now. She saw him sitting in the back of the class room. He gave her a wink of a hello. Zo blushed and walked down the next isle of desks. She sat next to him. They didn't have assigned seats, so it was alright.

"You were right." she gasped sadly to him. She thought a relationship with Janika was good. Surprisingly it was too good to be true.

"Mhm," he replied. "You give her the Zophe Zeklos break up special?"

Adrian heard her do it many times before. It was only two sentences that made anyone who crossed Zophe regret their wrong doings. She always refereed to their surname, in a way of telling them off. He thought it was spectacular, but hoped he would never hear the words from her lips.

"Of course, the Zophe Zeklos special. Why not? We were exclusive." She sighed. "She lied to me more then once Adrian. I don't live my life with liars."

Adrian nodded, knowing too well how Zophe reacted to things like this. "Don't worry too hard, Zoe. You'll know you'll always have a shoulder to cry on and a heart to love."

Zophe smiled. He always knew how to make her feel better. Zoe flipped her hair back from her face in her flirting way. She looked over at him.

"Thanks Ad." She blew him an air kiss. He grins and gave her a wink. Zophe couldn't keep her mind on class or any topic for that matter. She sighed, looked over at Adrian. He had everything right, he watched out for her back when others did not, and he cared deeply for her. Why not go with him, outside of their dream world? She didn't know why.

"Adrian, Adrian." A soft voice whispered to him.

He felt a hand brush through his hair. He slowly opened his eyes. He had been dream walking again, but he was pushed away from the sweet sense of the dream in itself. With that he just slept in a dreamless sleep. Until now a voice was trying to wake him up.

"Adrian, please wake up." The voice said a little more forceful. "You've been drinking again haven't you?"

Adrian opened his eyes. At first his vision was blurry, it took him a few blinks to register the brown haired beauty that was trying to awake him from his slumber. Her hair fell off her right shoulder, and her eyes were all for his to explore.

"Yes I told you already, little flame, it heals my soul." He said softly. "What bother's you so deeply to wake me, Zoe?"

"You don't know?" She looked at him oddly. She was wearing the dress he always dream walked her wearing. "You're still sleeping, Adrian. You're in our dream world."

He sat up slowly and looked around. It looked like his dorm. But he was in his dream walking clothes just as she was. He sighed realizing what she said was true. She sat down on his bed next to him. Her hair still off one shoulder. He got a full view of her shoulder, neck and all the way up to her face. It made him smile.

"It looks like we are, little flame."

"Aren't you worried about this, Adrian?" She asked him worried.

"Worried about what?" He arched an eyebrow.

"You're dream walking and not even knowing that you are." She stated. "Adrian, I'm worried that you're doing this and not noticing it. You need to stop drinking, for my sake."

"Your sake? Have you ever thought of what I want?" He asked upset that she was being so selfish.

"I am thinking about what you want! Adrian, you're going to make yourself sick one day. I see it in you. Even if I have to bound myself to you." Zophe was serious when she spoke. She did care about him. More then she would ever let him know. She didn't have to say anything more. He knew all to well with her words.

"Make myself sick? Wait, you would willingly bound yourself to me? Why?" He asked, trying to get her to say what he thought she meant She knew it too well. They've been friends since they were little, and knew their thoughts more then anything.

"Why? Because- Well," She took a deep breath. She was about to change their relationship completely. "I love you, Adrian. I love you."


End file.
